Headunit Cutting off at High Mids

[J.HA]

I have a Pioneer X8500BHS that cuts off on songs with lots of mids. My volume isn't near max either, maybe 50-80% of max. When it cuts off, the screen flashes grey-static and I hear static sounds from my speakers. Last about half a second, then back to normal. It would repeat when the mids of the song plays again.

I don't think it's voltage drop. My subs and mids are powered by separate amplifiers. My HU is only sending signals to the amps. It even cuts off with subs off (mids only), which is why I don't think it's due to voltage drop. I've also done Big 3, D3400 in front, extra Group 31 battery in back, and stock 100A alt with 0 gauge wiring. My system is 2000rms total for both amps.

What could it be? I think there could be a short somewhere but I am not sure where to look before I remove everything.

JL HD600/4
Rockford T1500.1BDCP
2 12" Image Dynamics IDMAX

Thanks

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[Buck 5,000+ posts]

Sounds like it could be a current issue. Maybe replace all radio related fuses. Even if they still read voltage, fuses can be damaged and highly restrict proper current flow.

That sounds weird.

What is your signal source? Phone? USB?

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

I very wonder if you have some sort of screwed up wire connection or fuse. It sounds like you're hitting a limiter at a certain volume. You may make sure you don't have any EQ boost or something like that accidentally on.

I guess that's a protection function of the radio, when it turns off.

 

[J.HA]

I very wonder if you have some sort of screwed up wire connection or fuse. It sounds like you're hitting a limiter at a certain volume. You may make sure you don't have any EQ boost or something like that accidentally on.

I guess that's a protection function of the radio, when it turns off.

Yeah this is a very weird issue. It's connected to my phone via BT. I guess there will be some trial and error (Reset EQ, unplug some RCA cables 1 at a time, checking 12v current at the HU when it clips, etc)

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

Yeah this is a very weird issue. It's connected to my phone via BT. I guess there will be some trial and error (Reset EQ, unplug some RCA cables 1 at a time, checking 12v current at the HU when it clips, etc)

Try a different source of music. I wonder if it could be a distortion issue from phone's signal, as well.

 

[J.HA]

Try a different source of music. I wonder if it could be a distortion issue from phone's signal, as well.

I turned off both amplifiers and with no sound, it still cuts off at high volumes. I think it could be a grounding issue. I'll double check the power/ground/ignition wires to the HU next.

 

[dragon.breath 10+ year member]

Check to make sure the the head unit doesn’t have a speaker wire shorting out. Even though you are not using the heads built in power, a short in the speaker output could cause the problem you have.

 

[J.HA]

I've narrowed it down to my 4ch amp. When I disconnected the 4 rca cables at the amp, the clipping goes away.

Could a bad ground for the 4ch amp cause this?

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

I've narrowed it down to my 4ch amp. When I disconnected the 4 rca cables at the amp, the clipping goes away.

Could a bad ground for the 4ch amp cause this?

You could have a shorted RCA cable that's causing your radio pre-amp to go into protect

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

My little HT sealed 8 had a RCA cable where the wire that was soldered to the outer ring, where the male is to plug into the RCA female, that solder joint had broken. It caused all sorts of weird issues. My sub would randomly start buzzing in the middle of the night, because the AC get turned way low at night, and the temp seemed to move the broken wire around to where it was able to make that noise. So, you might check for something like that. The short may not be bad enough to completely trip your radio out at lower volume, but maybe the power is enough when you turn it up so that it is able to start jumping the gap and shorting the cable out more. You could plug in each individual cable and see, maybe read the ohms on the a cables, wiggle them around some when you do that, see what it does. Run the circuit complete thing where it beeps if there's a complete circuit, if you have that, to make sure every RCA wire is making a complete closed circuit at all times. Things to look at.

 

[J.HA]

My little HT sealed 8 had a RCA cable where the wire that was soldered to the outer ring, where the male is to plug into the RCA female, that solder joint had broken. It caused all sorts of weird issues. My sub would randomly start buzzing in the middle of the night, because the AC get turned way low at night, and the temp seemed to move the broken wire around to where it was able to make that noise. So, you might check for something like that. The short may not be bad enough to completely trip your radio out at lower volume, but maybe the power is enough when you turn it up so that it is able to start jumping the gap and shorting the cable out more. You could plug in each individual cable and see, maybe read the ohms on the a cables, wiggle them around some when you do that, see what it does. Run the circuit complete thing where it beeps if there's a complete circuit, if you have that, to make sure every RCA wire is making a complete closed circuit at all times. Things to look at.

I appreciate your help. I've narrowed it down the RCA Cables or my 4ch amp. For now, having 3/4 RCA plugged in is working fine.

I do know my 4ch amp had issues in the past, where it has too much output for a particular speaker but was resolved by wiggling some of the switches around. Could have a short in my amp too.

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

I appreciate your help. I've narrowed it down the RCA Cables or my 4ch amp. For now, having 3/4 RCA plugged in is working fine.

I do know my 4ch amp had issues in the past, where it has too much output for a particular speaker but was resolved by wiggling some of the switches around. Could have a short in my amp too.

You could have a loose controller connection, such as the gain or a crossover adjustment that is somewhat separating from the board and in and out of contact, somewhat. That's wild if your 4 channel is making your radio go into protect; I don't think I've seen that before, or at least known that was the issue lol.

You can plug any RCA into any channel; maybe you should test that and see if any RCA's in a good channel on your amp makes the good channel mess up. Maybe use what you know works to figure out if it's the RCA or your amp. Definitely is looking like some sort of short or dysfunctional connection issue. Hopefully it's not on the board. If it is, it may be an easy fix. Everything still works in general, if it was your amp board, maybe just a little solder or something could reattach it. Just some thoughts. I'm interested to see what it is haha

 

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

I mean specifically if you have front/rear RCA's with left/right, you can plug any of those into any amp RCA female and see if there's bad channels on the amp or bad RCA's.